British Livestock Genetics

Global food prices are on the ascent again with the FAO Food Price Index – a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar – registering four straight monthly rises. The index averaged 168 points in November, the highest since September 2008. That was still 21 percent below its peak in June 2008. Prior to the price spike of 2007/08, the index never exceeded 120 points and, for most of the time, was below 100points.

However it seems that market conditions are different from those that triggered the food price crisis that started two years ago.

Today, world cereal stocks are at more comfortable levels, although some markets are facing tight conditions. In general supplies held by exporters are more adequate to respond to rising demand than they were during the price surge period. For example, the wheat stocks-to-use ratio in major exporting countries has risen from 12 percent to 20 percent this season. However, macro-economic
factors, exchange rates, volatile oil prices and, once again, rising liquidity stemming from exceptionally low interest rates continue to generate uncertainty, which food markets have to live with.

As to meat, world meat prices were an average 8 percent lower in the first ten months of 2009 than the same period last year. Lower global imports are expected to depress world trade in all various meat categories in 2009 but a modest recovery is expected in 2010.

Find out more on the food outlook at http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak341e/ak341e09.htm

[08/02/2010]





Latest News			Global Food prices up again according to FAO
Foot & mouth disease in East Asia [30/04/2010] Climate change in a climate of change [02/03/2010] ILDEX Vietnam 2010 - the solutions for Vietnam’s sustainable growth [02/03/2010] UK Sheep meat exports pass the £300 million mark in 2009 [02/03/2010] Certification Updates [27/02/2010] Global Food prices up again according to FAO [08/02/2010] New logo selected for all EU organic products [08/02/2010] EBLEX beef and sheep roadmap to livestock emissions reductions [08/02/2010] Outlook Conference diary alert [08/02/2010] Record entries for National All Breeds Show promise a spectacle to dispel the February blues [08/02/2010] Make a date: British Cattle Conference 24-26 January 2011 [08/02/2010] A very merry Christmas (and good year) for British pork sales, at home & abroad [08/02/2010] Paris in the Springtime [07/02/2010] Aberdeen-Angus semen heads for Estonia [05/02/2010] Lloyds TSB Agriculture continues sponsorship of Beef Expo in May [05/02/2010] British Blue, British Charolais and British Limousin beef semen exports to USA ...... and Denmark [05/02/2010] New JSR International Sales Director [05/02/2010] Dairy Burke Trophy moves to new National All Breeds Show [04/02/2010] New British semen storage and distribution unit opens [04/02/2010] JSR in the Ukraine [08/12/2009] Spring into Spring - EBLEX export marketing push [08/12/2009] New National All Breeds Show 2010 [08/12/2009] Male sexed Limousin semen - another ‘world first’ for Crawford Brothers [04/12/2009] A Sustainable Breeding Future - British Cattle Conference 25-27 January, 2010 [03/12/2009] Au revoir and bienvenue to Herefords as they head from England to France [02/12/2009] Cogent expansion: commitment and optimism for UK cattle genetics’ future [01/12/2009] New Genus ABS appointments in Europe and UK [01/12/2009] New British owned AI company launched [01/12/2009] British Blues join Semenstore.co.uk [01/12/2009] Mad for Madison [23/09/2009] New British Angus company launched in response [23/09/2009] IndAgra-Farm - UK’s livestock breeding sector are there for business! [23/09/2009] Where Asia’s feed, livestock and meat industry do business [21/09/2009] National Ploughing Championships 2009 [21/09/2009] Limousin ‘Goldies Terence’ semen exported to Norway, Finland and Australia [21/09/2009] Positive signs for English pig sector [21/09/2009] Defra minister to open the Dairy Event and Livestock Show [08/09/2009] JSR continues global expansion [02/09/2009] World record price for a sheep [31/08/2009] Cows for Cambodia! [28/08/2009] Cutting edge agricultural research under microscope [26/08/2009] GB Bulls Open Day and NEW August DVD now available [25/08/2009] Portuguese Pig Producers Choose UK Breeding Stock [25/08/2009] Picston Shottle celebrates his tenth birthday [25/08/2009] Agriscot - the UK's No 1 Farm Business Event [25/08/2009] Strong British team at Expointer [25/08/2009] The Dairy Event and Livestock Show 2009 [13/08/2009] A strong technical team helping the British pig industry [13/08/2009] BEEF EXPO 2010 is at Hexham [12/08/2009] AHDB appoints new EBLEX director [12/08/2009] Expointer And 100 Years of Devons in Brazil [10/08/2009] New export initiatives for livestock & meat sectors [27/07/2009] EBLEX and BPEX relocate to Stoneleigh [27/07/2009] News on latest meat sector economics publications & services [23/07/2009] Pig campaign wins major international awards [29/05/2009] Doors open for lamb exports to United Arab Emirates [06/04/2009] World Shorthorn Conference 2010 – A world of opportunity in the home of the breed [23/03/2009] Pig export news from ACMC [23/03/2009] UK’s Beef and Lamb exports up [05/03/2009] Breeding polled cattle made easier [05/03/2009] British pork exports hit £160million [20/02/2009] Genus expands business in China [20/02/2009] 'Positive future' for dairy industry [23/01/2009] British Limousin Pedigree sales in 2008 exceed £5 million [15/01/2009] 2008 Archive 2007 Archive 2006 Archive 2005 Archive 2004 Archive			Global food prices are on the ascent again with the FAO Food Price Index – a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar – registering four straight monthly rises. The index averaged 168 points in November, the highest since September 2008. That was still 21 percent below its peak in June 2008. Prior to the price spike of 2007/08, the index never exceeded 120 points and, for most of the time, was below 100points. However it seems that market conditions are different from those that triggered the food price crisis that started two years ago. Today, world cereal stocks are at more comfortable levels, although some markets are facing tight conditions. In general supplies held by exporters are more adequate to respond to rising demand than they were during the price surge period. For example, the wheat stocks-to-use ratio in major exporting countries has risen from 12 percent to 20 percent this season. However, macro-economic factors, exchange rates, volatile oil prices and, once again, rising liquidity stemming from exceptionally low interest rates continue to generate uncertainty, which food markets have to live with. As to meat, world meat prices were an average 8 percent lower in the first ten months of 2009 than the same period last year. Lower global imports are expected to depress world trade in all various meat categories in 2009 but a modest recovery is expected in 2010. Find out more on the food outlook at http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak341e/ak341e09.htm [08/02/2010]